Training materials provided for use with computers are well known. There are currently a wide variety of computer-based training materials offered on the market. In many instances, such training materials focus on interest-specific topics, such as alphabet recognition, playing the guitar, home decorating, gardening, playing golf, auto repairing, and the like. Some computer-based training materials are generally targeted for a specific age group, for example, alphabet recognition for young children, playing the guitar for adolescents, and auto repairing for adults. Such training materials are typically provided on diskettes, CDs and DVDs, which may require the student to install the software program onto his or her computer before initial use of the training materials.
With the development of the Internet, training materials provided on-line have also become available. The variety of courses being currently offered on-line is extensive, including such interest-specific courses mentioned above, and also degree courses such as calculus, biology, chemistry, physics, French, English, fine art, and the like. Indeed, there are virtual schools where students can take on-line courses to complete their required education and achieve certification, for example, high school diplomas, college degrees, and university degrees. Such on-line courses can require the student to download a software program from the network onto his or her computer before initial use of the training materials.
Irrespective of the delivery mechanism of the training materials, whether the training materials are provided on portable storage devices or over computer networks, computer-based training materials offer students the advantage of learning a specific subject without having to register and attend classes which may be offered at institutions located at great distance from the student's residence. Furthermore, such computer-based training materials allow students to learn at their own pace without having the pressure of their peers in a classroom setting. In the case of training materials provided on portable storage devices, the student can work through the lessons provided as many times as is needed by the student to gain an understanding of the materials, and also at a pace desired by the student. Since the computer-based training materials are installed on the computer, the student has access to it until such time as the student desires to remove the materials from his or her computer. Similarly, for training materials provided over computer networks, once the computer-based training materials are downloaded onto the student's computer, the student has access to the materials until such time as the student removes the training materials from his or her computer. Moreover, such computer-based training materials allow students to learn a specific subject at the retail price of the computer-based training materials, which is significantly less costly than attending a live course or hiring an instructor.
Generally, computer-based training materials are organized into levels, for example, basic levels, intermediate levels and advance levels on any one specific topic. For instance, a single CD may contain all the necessary training materials on auto repairing, covering all the different levels, from the basics of checking the oil to the advanced level of fixing the engine; it is at the student's discretion to determine the appropriate level of training material he or she requires based on his or her own assessment of his or her own actual skills on this particular topic. In other instances, a single CD may only contain training materials targeted for students at one particular level, the basic level, the intermediate level or the advanced level, on any one specific topic. Thus, the student needs to buy a set of CDs containing all levels of materials on a topic and work sequentially through each level or buy a single CD on any one particular level, based on the student's assessment of his or her own skill level. With respect to training materials being offered over a computer network, the student typically needs to download all levels of the training materials to his or her computer and work sequentially through the lessons provided at each level. Although a particular level of training materials may be downloaded by the student, it is at the student's discretion to determine the appropriate level of training material he or she requires based on his or her own assessment of his or her own skill level.
The present inventors have determined however, that while computer-based training materials provide students the opportunity to learn without having to attend classes, and to learn a subject at their own pace, such computer-based training materials currently on the market do not give students an accurate assessment of their skill level, and thus to make an accurate determination of the type of training materials required. Students choose the level of the training material based on his or her own assessment and assumption of his or her own skill set. In fact, it is common for students using existing computer-based training materials to work through lessons which the students have already possessed knowledge of the materials taught. Thus, such repetitive learning is time-consuming and cost ineffective, particularly as viewed by employers of companies where their employees are using such computer-based training materials.